


Little Duck of Wonder

by thatnerdbb



Category: Free!, Free! Eternal Summer - Fandom, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club - Fandom
Genre: Childhood, Deaf AU, Deaf Character, Developed Relationship, Friend Ships, M/M, children au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdbb/pseuds/thatnerdbb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>New fic! I don't have a lot of plans for this one but I'm v excited for it. <br/>Disclaimer, I am an ASL student. It's going to be heavily based off ASL because that is what I know. Hence why I use the English alphabet etc. so yes. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New fic! I don't have a lot of plans for this one but I'm v excited for it.   
> Disclaimer, I am an ASL student. It's going to be heavily based off ASL because that is what I know. Hence why I use the English alphabet etc. so yes. Enjoy!

It was diagnosed very soon after birth that Aiichirou was deaf. It hurt his parents hearts in a way, knowing that unless he chose to do the surgery for the implant he would never hear the world. But Aiichirou never seemed bothered by that fact. His parents explained to him that he wasn't like the other children. He didn't mind. 

He caught onto sign language very quickly. His parents taught him basic signs for emotion when he was a baby, so he could express what he wanted. And as soon as he was pre-school age enrolled him in a school for deaf children. As a toddler, he learned sign with other children and weekly his parents took lessons so they too could communicate with him. He was a very fast learner, and learned to read lips and speak orally by the age of 9.

The first time Sousuke and Rin saw Aiichirou, they were kids. They all lived on the same block, but the two older were always to nervous to talk to the boy who seemed to never talk. Sousuke overheard his parents one night, talking about how the boy, whom he found out was named Nitori, could not hear. He then realized the boys hand waving was actually a form of communication. 

When he kept hearing his parents talk about him, about how such a good learner he was despite his disability, he grew even more curious. He would open up to Rin about what his parents said, and Rin would often fantasize about what the mysterious silver-haired boy was like. They swore they would meet him one day. 

So when their elementary school announced a weekly partnership with the school for Deaf children, they were overjoyed. All Sousuke could think about was meeting that boy. The small, silver haired boy he'd been so curious about for as long as he can remember. 

When the day comes that they field trip over, all the students who's parents approved would pile onto the school bus, sticky hands and wide smiled as they took their seats just after lunch break had ended. Sousuke was silent as Rin talked curiously in the short ride to the other school. He mostly watched the trees pass, until he saw the sign peaking through the trees. 

"Iwatobi School for Deaf Children", it read, and immediately he sat up quicker, adjusting his hair subconsciously. It was a sort of habit he had formed when he was a tad nervous, and Rin jabbed an elbow lightly into his side with a laugh when he noticed it. "I hope we see the kid," he laughed, kicking his feet slightly. Sousuke nodded with a soft smile as they got off the bus, and where lead through to the Cafeteria. 

It was the end of this schools lunch hour, and he could definitely see the immediate differences in this school. There was no talking, but there was definable noise. A lot of people banging on tables, waving hands at people and gesturing strange things none of the visitors understood. But Sousuke was the first to catch Nitori. 

His silver hair was tossed slightly, and he was gesturing and signing quickly with a boy who looked about a year younger than him with orange hair. There was another boy, older than the two with the same fiery orange hair as the youngest smiling and giving the occasional reply. "Class!" He heard the teacher, his teacher, get there attention. Beside their teacher, another lady with brown hair stood, stomping and slamming on the table nearest her. The students followed, in a wave of smacking the table behind them until every student was fixed on their respective teacher. 

The woman signed along to what there teacher said, making sure everyone got what they were saying. "Hello, students! Today is the say that Iwatobi Elementary and Iwatobi School for Deaf Children come together. Weekly, each school will alternate traveling to the other at the end of the day. You will find a friend from the other school, and you will stick with them on these days. You will learn to communicate with them, and each of your friends that you make. Now, you may find a partner." 

Sousuke immediately went to Ai, waving at him as he approached. Ai smiled, opening his mouth and talking in a slightly odd sounding voice. "My name is Aiichirou," he said, smile on his face. Sousuke simply said his name, shaking his hand. "You can talk?" He asked, confused. "I can, but I don't like to. I can read your lips too." He smiled before turning back to the teacher. Sousuke simply nodded, still sort of confused. 

Rin had chosen the younger orange haired kid, and a blonde boy who went to their school chose the older one. When everyone paired up, they turned to the teachers and waited instruction. "Okay, the Deaf student will take the hearing somewhere on campus. You will teach the other basic sign, and introduce yourselves. There will be a written assignment, so make sure you get to know your partner!" The teachers said (and signed) before dismissing them. 

"I know just the place," Aiichirou smiled shyly, and motioned for Sousuke to follow him. They went to a bench outside. They sat, and Ai smiled. "So, how does this work?" Sousuke asked, holding his hands up. Aiichirou blinked, before registering what he said. "I need you to look directly at me when you talk. It'll make it easier for me to read your lips." Sousuke nodded, embarrassed but clearly undertaking. 

"So, these?" He asked, pointing to his hands. Ai nodded showing him with his own hands. "Alphabet," he smiled, going in order. He would say the letter, show him, and form the others hand to do the same. "A is like this," he started, soft hands helping to guide the much larger ones of Sousuke. 

During this time, they actually got to know each other well. Ai being one of the students who could talk helped, and conversation flowed smoothly. Sousuke got the hang of spelling very quickly, and while slow made very few mistakes. When the bell sounded, it was alarming. He thought it was a sort of fire alarm, to which Nitori laughed a bit. "We can't here the alarms so they use lights. We see the light signal in green we know to meet back in the cafeteria or gym." He explained, guiding him back. 

Sousuke felt a bit helpless, but none he less enjoyed his time with the mystery boy down the street. When they parted ways, Nitori simply waved. Sousuke spelled a good-bye with his hands, making Ai grin so wide his cheeks hurt. That night, he couldn't stop telling Momo how much fun he had with Sousuke and how much of a great learner he was. 

Momo excitedly shared his time with Rin too, and talked about the boy who was paired with his brother until there hands ached more than usual at the end of the day.


	2. Pretty Odd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori happily ran over, waving at Sousuke. "That's Nitori-kun, right?" Rin asked with a grin, hands behind his head. "Yeah," Sousuke nodded, turning to Ai with a soft smile. "Hey, Ai!" He sighed, proud of how fluent he was. "I didn't know you lived so close!" Nitori beamed, talking aloud. He felt it was easier, especially around other people who he didn't know all that well like Rin. From Momo he learned that he was in a swim club just like Sousuke.

Over the years, Aiichirou and Sousuke became great friends. Shortly after they started talking, he realized that Ai really did prefer not talking. Sousuke studied hard, learning sign language so he was able to talk to his friend. After about a year, they were pretty much able to communicate non-verbally. Ai would laugh softly every time Sousuke messed up a sign, especially if it was a bad word he had signed by accident. 

ISFC (Nitori's school) was a boarding school. Students stayed in the dorms during the week and traveled home for the weekend. Ai was always happy to go see his parents, but he also loved school and being roommates with Momo. Ai soon discovered that Sousuke lived down the road one weekend when we saw him and, who he identified after a minute of watching to be Rin, outside playing. 

Nitori happily ran over, waving at Sousuke. "That's Nitori-kun, right?" Rin asked with a grin, hands behind his head. "Yeah," Sousuke nodded, turning to Ai with a soft smile. "Hey, Ai!" He sighed, proud of how fluent he was. "I didn't know you lived so close!" Nitori beamed, talking aloud. He felt it was easier, especially around other people who he didn't know all that well like Rin. From Momo he learned that he was in a swim club just like Sousuke. 

"Hello, Matsuoka-kun," he waved at the red head. Sousuke offered to let him join them in playing, a strange game that combined jumping rope and dodge ball that the duo had come up with last summer. Ai declined, saying he had to help his parents with dinner. "You can both come over, if you like!" Sousuke looked to Rin with a shrug, and turned back to Ai when he got a smile of approval from Rin. "Sure, let me tell my mom, and we'll be over. Just across the street, right?" Ai nodded, waving as he skipped back home. 

A few minutes later they arrived as promised. They rang the door bell, and were surprised to see Nitori at the door instead of his parents. He couldn't have heard the doorbell, how did he know they were here? Noticing their confusion, he had them push it again while the door was open. Lights flashed, and suddenly it all made sense. "It's like at my school," he explained, leading them inside. He lead them to the kitchen, and turned to his parents. 

He signed fast, and his parents understood completely. "This is Matsuoka-kun and Sousuke-kun. Sousuke is my partner at school and Matsuoka is Momos," they nodded in understanding, smiling at the two boys who while smaller than themselves, were taller than their own son. "We're Aiichirou's parents. But you can just call is Nitori-san and Nitori-kun," his mother beamed, turning back to finish cooking. 

They nodded, and Ai grabbed both their wrists. "We can go to my room while we wait," he explained. They were lead up the stairs and into a decent sized room. It had pale blue walls and the basics for a room. The bed sheets were a green and blue checker pattern, and the desk had piles of books on it. It was almost the same as Ai's half of the dorm, but not quite. "Sousuke-senpai!" He signed, smiling as he did. Sousuke took a moment before giving a reply. "Yeah?" 

Slowly, so he could see if the other understood, he signed "do you like my room?" Sousuke, proud of himself nodded. He actually understood him signing, without talking along with its. "I like the colors," he noticed, taking in just his colorful his room was. Almost everything was colored green blue and yellow. 

They sat until dinner, Ai tutoring them both in basic signing. It was strange, them technically being their senpai's but Ai was teaching them. A knock sounded at the door, which Nitori was oblivious too, and it opened. His father stood in the door smiling at the sight of his sons small hands molding the other boys into words. He stomped, gaining Aiichirou's attention. He spoke as he signed, so both could understand. "Dinners ready!" 

Ai hopped down the stairs, leading them to the dining room. He turned on the lights and told them where to sit. He left to get plates, leaving the duo in silence. "It's kinda strange huh?" Rin spoke up, looking at the chandelier and the many photos of Aiichirou and his family on the walls. "What?" Sousuke asked, eyes narrowing in Rin's direction. "Nothing bad, it's just different. It's a cool different," he offered a toothy grin, right when Ai came back. 

"It's going to be weird actually talking during dinner," he noted, his silver hair tousled around his head as he set down the plates. He turned to them, sitting next to Sousuke on his right. "Usually we just sign, but I figured talking would be easier for you to keep up with."

He nodded in understanding, and his parents came in with food. They made there plates and talked, but half way through Ai huffed out a sigh. "It's hard to keep up with everyone talking, I can only read one persons lips at a time!" He emphasized by slumping in his chair. His father laughed, signing something Sousuke didn't recognize. Ai sat up and nodded, quickly replying. They talked through sign for a bit before Ai turned to the boys. 

"Want to go down to Tokyo with us tomorrow? We're visiting for the cherry blossom festival!" He smiled, his tongue sticking out slightly. Sousuke told him he would have to ask his mom, along with Rin. They continued on until the duo had to go home and study, leaving Ai with a soft smile on his features as he went to bed for the night.


End file.
